SYNOPSIS

Although Malaysia started its first railway service in 1885 when the Taiping-Port Weld Line was opened, it is not until 1996 when the first urban railway (metro) was introduced with the opening of the Ampang Line (then known as STAR Line).

While both share many similarities as railways, the metro has evolved more rapidly around the globe to serve the needs of major cities.  There are various types of metros such as the LRT, MRT, Monorails that have been adopted in major cities.  What are the major differences and what would be the basis of selection?

With increasing frequency to cater with growing demands, metros have introduced more automations so that safety is not compromised.  In the recent years, more and more cities opt for driverless trains which in turns requires more sophisticated technologies to emulate human drivers.  This is where signaling comes into the picture.

Another element that will be presented are the safety features in metros.  For example, the Platform Screen Doors; why some metros opt to have them and why some choose to leave without them. What are other options that metros could adopt to ensure safety of the public.

Audience also will be exposed to the bogie elements and learn how the three-piece bogie has evolved into steerable bogie, and the mechanics of the wheel-rail interface as well as the reasons behind the conical-shape of train wheels.


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Ir. Ahmad Nizam Mohamed Amin, graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St Louis, USA.  He also holds the Malaysian Advanced Diploma Skills in Electric Train Maintenance.

Nizam started his career in railways when he joined Prasarana’s Kelana Jaya Line LRT, then known as PUTRA (Projek Usahasaman Transit Ringan Automatik Sdn Bhd).  He held the post of Engineer in the QA & Engineering Department before being promoted to other positions in the department, and lead the department in 2008, which at that time also includes the Ampang Line LRT.  In January 2011, he was appointed to be the Chief Operating Officer of the Kelana Jaya Line LRT, before being appointed to be the Chief Executive Officer of Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd which comprises of Kelana Jaya Line LRT, Ampang Line LRT, KL Monorail, and Sg Buloh – Kajang MRT.  In September 2016, he has been appointed as Chief Infra Services Officer, the post that he holds as of to date.

Throughout his career, Nizam has been involved in the day to day operations and maintenance of the railway systems.  He has led the organization for its ISO9001 certification in 2011 and a strong supporter the ICC (Innovative & Creative Circles) in which his teams have been participating in national and international levels.  He has developed interest in test activities in which includes instrumentation, data acquisition, and post-processing analysis.  He has also been involved in various projects to support operations and maintenance of the railway systems.  Among the notable ones are the rail profile gauge, manual mode door chime, train status logger, and many more.  Despite being a mechanical engineer by trade, his strengths also includes electronics designs and software applications development.